Solenoid actuated switch



A 17,1954 R. w. CHESTER Em SOLENOID ACTUATED SWITCH 3 Sheets-Sheet l fig m OSEY 1 T N H w MWE E W M 0 N /.L$ T BEE MERN www a. EPDJ Filed May 1, 1952 Aug. 17, 1954 R. w. CHESTER ETAL SOLENOID ACTUATED SWITCH 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed May 1, 1952 5 T 5 m? w 5% M H B 0 vnfi m w W WTL 5 A TLH. WHEN & E wan? PEDJfl 5 z 9 Z M a R w 4 17, 1954 R. w. CHESTER ETAL 2,636,855

SOLENOID ACTUATED SWITCH Filed May 1, 1952 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 /NVEN7'0E6 180551? T W CHES TEE ROBERT T f/fl/ENETT 74%, M $4 THE/R ATTORNEYS Patented Aug. 17, 1954 2,686,855 SOLENOID ACTUATED SWITCH Robert W. Chester and ton, Darrell E. Royer mith, Dayton, Ohio, assi Robert T. Vandalia, and John H.

Harnett, Daygnors to General Motors Corporation, Detroit, Mich., a corporation of Delaware Application May I, 1952, Serial No. 285,404 Claims. (0]. 200-105) The present invention relates to switches and more particularly t switches of the solenoid actuated type.

Often' times it is sign and sturdy construction.

The aforementioned and other objects are assembly thereby causing energization of another group of load devices.

Further objects and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the following description,

Fig. l is a plan view of a switch assembly. Fig. 2 is a front view taken in the direction of arrow 2 of Fig. 1.

view taken in the direction of sectional view taken on line 66 Fig. 7 is a sectional view taken on line 1-1 of Fig. 5.

Fig. 8 is a sectional view taken on line 8--B of Fig. 5.

Fig. 9 is a sectional view similar to Fig. 4 with certain parts removed and with the solenoid actuated lever assembly shown in the cocked position.

Referring particularly to Figs. 1 to 3, the solenoid actuated sequence switch is enclosed in a housing I which includes a one-piece side wall structure 2, a front plate 3 and a back plate 4, which elements are secured together by any suitable means such as screw devices.

side plate 2 supports three input terminal studs H, l2 and I3. Housing I is also provided with oppositely extending bracket portions l4 and I5 which are apertured, facilitating support of the switch assembly on any suitable fixture.

Referring to Figs. '4 to 6, a shaft I 6 is supported at opposite ends and journaled for rotation in bearing means positioned in recesses of the front posed within each of the channels provided by the plate 19 and insulated therefrom are connectors 23, 24 and 25 which are respectively connected to input studs H, H! and 13 as shown in Fig. 8. The other ends of the connectors 23,

around an end surface a notch in the other side thereof.

The movable contact assembly I8 is provided with three radially extending apertured arms 29, 30 and 3|, disposed substantially apart,

which are formed integral with an insulating member 32 that is attached to the shaft it by means of a key 33 as shown in Figs. 6 and 7. Supported on each of the arms 29, 3G and 31 are brushes 34, 35 and 36, respectively. Each of the brushes comprises a U-shaped metal member, the legs of which extend on opposite sides of its associated arm and the base of which is suitably attached thereto by rivets. As shown in Figs. 6 and '7, the output terminal studs 5 through Ill are connected with bus bars 31 through d2, disposed substantially 60 apart, which are insue lated from each other and supported on the front cover plate 3 which is composed of insulating material. As is apparent from examination of Figs. '7 and 8, one leg of each of the brushes 34 through 36 is always in engagement with one of the supply contact plates 26 through 23, by reason of these plates being of substantial arcuate size. The other legs of the brushes 3A through 36 will contact bus bars 31, es and M in one position of the switch, while contacting busbars 38, 40 and 42 in a second position of the: switch. Thus in one instance, the connection between the input terminals H, l2 and is will be through the connectors 23, 24 and 25, the plates 2G, 2? and 28, the brushes 34, 3'5 and 3%, the bus bars 31, 39 and 4|, and the output terminals 5, E and 9. In the other position of the switch, the input terminals l 1., l2 and it will be connected through the movable contact assembly 58' to bus bars 38, t and 42 and output terminal studs 6, B and it.

The operating mechanism for effecting inter mittent movement of the movable contact assembly l8 and the shaft [6- will now be described. As is apparent from an examination of Fig. 5, the switch contact assembly is mounted in one. portion of the housing I while the other portion of the housing I contains an electromagnet or solenoid assembly designated generally by 43. With reference to Figs. and 8, the solenoid assembly comprises a laminated core structure 44 supported by screw devices attached to the front plate 3. The core laminations are of the shape shown in Fig. 8 which generally takes the form of a rectangle having an M-shaped part in the center removed, and a slot connecting with the V of the M-shaped opening. Disposed within the slot connecting with the V of the M opening is a rectangular-throat assembly 45 shown in Fig.

5. Disposed within the throat assembly dfi-and mounted for reciprocal movement therein is a solenoid plunger, or armature, 45 which is likewise composed of a plurality of laminations suitably secured together. The free end of the plunger is pointed atd'l in order to provide a spbstantially uniform air gap 48 between the core 44 and the plunger 48-. Disposed within the M- shaped slot of the core M is a solenoid winding is which is connected by leads 5% and 5! to terminals mounted in the housing i as is shown in Fig. 4. Lead 55. is connected to input terminal i l, which is controlled by an outside source, not shown, for periodically energizing and deenergizing the solenoid it and simultaneously energizing and deenergizing the input terminal circuit, while lead 5! is connected to a terminal 52 which is grounded.

The solenoid plunger 416 is loosely. pivotally connected at 53 to a lever assembly 5 3 which, in

turn, is pivotally connected intermediate its ends.

at 55 to an internal bracket formed on the side wall 2'. The lever assembly as is pivotally connected at its opposite ends with a link 56 as shown in Figs. 4 and 9. The other end of the link 56 is pivotally connected at 5'! to a plate assembly 58 which is mounted, as shown in Fig. 6, between the ratchet wheel ll and the end of the shaft is and is free to rotate thereon. The plate assembly 58 is substantially V-shaped with an extending portion integral with one of the legs thereof. Leg 59 of the substantially V- shaped plate is provided with a slotted aperture 60. Leg 59 is also provided with an outwardly extending pin 6! while the other leg thereof and the extending portion 62, journaled on the shaft It, is connected to the link 56 and is also provided with an axially extending pin 63. Mounted substantially at the juncture between the portions 59 and $2 is an operating pawl 64 which includes a toothed member pivoted to the plate 58 and a U-shaped torsion spring 65 around the pivot and having one leg thereof in engagement with pin 6!, and the other leg disposed within a recess in the toothed member.

Attached to the plate I9 which actually is a pawl carrier are a pair of holding pawls $6 and El. Pawl 66 is pivoted to the plate at (58 and likewise provided with a U-shaped torsion spring 68 one leg of which engages a pin 10, and the other leg of which is disposed in a recess, not shown, of the pawl 66. Pawl 67 is pivoted to the plate at ll and has a U-shaped torsion spring 12, one leg of which likewise engages a pin 13, the other leg being disposed in a recess'in pawl El. Pawl 6'! is notched intermediate its ends for engagement with the ratchet ll while the end of pawl 66 is adapted for engagement with the ratchet H. The free end 14 of pawl 61 is so disposed that it is adapted to be contacted by pin 53 of the plate assembly 53 upon movement thereof. Pawl E4 of the plate assembly 58 is likewise disposed to engage the ratchet ll. Pawl Gt is designed to prevent counterclockwise movement of the ratchet ll and the shaft 16, while pawl 64 is designed to drive ratchet 11 in a clockwise direction. Pawl 61. is adapted to prevent clockwise movement thereof when it is in engagement therewith. Attached to the slot 60 of the plate assembly 58 is a compression spring 15, the other end of which is attached to the housing I. Also attached to the plate I9 is a clip it which m tains the solenoid lead 59 displaced. from the switch operating mechanism. The switch may be mounted on a rotating body in such a manner that centrifugal force assists the solenoid winding in cooking the switch assembly. In this instance the. solenoid winding may be constructed to consume less power.

Operation When the switch mechanism is in the position shown in Fig. l, the solenoid assembly 43 is deenergized and the spring 75 is in the unstressed condition. In this position of the switch mechanism input terminals ll, 12 and 13 are connected through the movable contact assembly 18 to output terminals 5, l and 9 as shown in Fig. 7. To effect connection of output terminals 6, 8 and I0 with the input terminals ll, I2 and I3, the following sequence of events must transpire. When the solenoid winding i9 is energized, the solenoid plunger it will move downwardly as viewed in Fig. 8 or upwardly as viewed in Fig. 4 to the position it is shown in Fig. 9. The input terminals are only energized when the solenoid is energized by suitable switching means, not shown. When the solenoid plunger moves, it pivots lever assembly 5Q about pivot 55 which results in link 56 rotating the plate assembly 58 counterclockwise about shaft l6 from the position it is shown in Fig. 4 to the position it is shown in Fig. 9. During movement of the plate assembly 58 between these two positions, rotation of the ratchet l1 and the shaft associated therewith is prevented by pawl 66. During rotation of the plate assembly 58, the pawl 64 is removed from engagement with the ratchet l1 and moved back one notch thereon to the position it is shown in Fig. 9. As is apparent from the comparison of Figs. 4 and 9, only one tooth of the ratchet l1 separates pawls 64 and 66 at the end of a switching cycle following solenoid deenergization, However, when the solenoid is energized, two teeth of the ratchet I1 separate pawls 84 and 66. During movement of the plate assembly 58 counterclockwise, pin 63 thereof will remove pawl 61 from engagement with the ratchet H by acting upon the free end 14 thereof. When the switch mechanism is in the position shown in Fig. 9, it is in the cocked position. When the solenoid is deenergized, the ratchet indexing mechanism will operate to move the contact assembly I8 out of engagement with bus bars 31, 39 and 4| and into the engagement with bus bars 38, 40 and 42 in the following manner.

When the solenoid winding 49 is deenergized, the spring 15, which has been stressed, will tend to return to a lesser stressed condition shown in Fig. 4. As the input terminals are also deenergized, no arcing will occur during switch movement. The spring 15, in returning to its unstressed condition, will effect clockwise rotation of the plate assembly 58 from the position shown in Fig. 9 to the position shown in Fig. 4. During clockwise rotation of the plate assembly 58 by the spring 15, pawl 64 will move the ratchet l1 and its associated shaft in a clockwise direction through one notch thereof. Clockwise movement of the ratchet I1 is permitted by reason of the pawl 61 being disengaged from the ratchet by the pin 63 and by reason that the pawl 66 only prevents counterclockwise movement of the ratchet 11. Consequently, during retraction of the spring 15, the ratchet mechanism will be moved by the pawl 64 throughout one notch which is substantially 60 before the pawl 61 will return to engagement with the ratchet and operatively prevent further movement. Durin rotation of the ratchet ll throughout 60, movable contact assembly 18 will likewise rotate 60 and effect disengagement of connectors 31, 39 and 4| with the brushes 34, 35 and 38 and will establish a circuit between connectors 38, 4!! and 42 with input terminals ll, l2 and [3. A subsequent cycle of energization and deenergization of the solenoid winding 49 will again eilect a 60 movement of the contact assembly I8 and return the connection of input terminals ll, I2 and is to connectors 31, 39 and 4 I.

From the foregoing, it is apparent that the sequence switch described may be used to control the distribution of intermittent energization to two output circuits. This feature is highly important as it results in a substantially saving in aircraft installations where the input terminals are connected through brush and slip ring assemblies between relatively movable parts to a power source. Thus by utilizing sequence switches of the type disclosed, a plurality of circuits may be intermittently energized through one set of brush and slip ring assemblies, while the power source need only be large enough to supply one load circuit instead of a plurality of load circuits. The cycle of energization and deenergization of the sequence switch assembly may be controlled by any suitable means, not shown, and the cycle may be of varying duration, depending upon the requirements of the load devices associated with the output terminals of the switch.

While the embodiment of the present invention as herein disclosed, constitutes a preferred form, it is to be understood that other forms might be adopted.

What is claimed is as follows:

1. An electric switch including in combination, a housing, a shaft rotatably supported in said housing, a movable contact assembly carried by said shaft, indexing means operatively associated with said shaft, said indexing means including a ratchet wheel carried by said shaft and a pawl assembly operatively associated with said ratchet wheel comprising an operating pawl and a pair of holding pawls operative in one position to engage said ratchet Wheel and prevent rotary movement thereof in both directions, means operatively associated with said pawl assembly for simultaneously disengaging one of said hold pawls from said ratchet wheel to permit rotary movement thereof in one direction and. effecting movement of said operating pawl in the other direction throughout the distance of one ratchet tooth and into operative engagement with said ratchet wheel, and means operatively associated with said pawl assembly for sequentially moving the operating pawl in said one direction to thereby effect rotation of the ratchet wheel in said one direction throughout the distance of one ratchet tooth and thereafter moving said one holding pawl into operative engagement with said ratchet wheel.

2. An electric switch including in combination, a housing, a shaft rotatably supported in said housing, a movable contact assembly carried by said shaft, indexing means operatively associated with said shaft, said indexing means including a ratchet wheel carried by said shaft and a pawl assembly operatively associated with said ratchet wheel comprising an operating pawl and a pair of holding pawls operative in one position to engage said ratchet wheel and prevent rotary move ment thereof in both directions, electromagnetic means operatively associated with said pawl assembly for simultaneously disengaging one of said holding pawls from said ratchet wheel to permit rotary movement thereof in one direction and effecting movement of said operating pawl in the other direction throughout the distance of one ratchet tooth and into operative engagement with said ratchet wheel, and resilient means operatively associated with said pawl assembly for sequentially moving the operating pawl in said one direction to thereby effect rotation of the ratchet wheel in said one direction throughout the distance of one ratchet tooth and thereafter moving said one holding pawl into operative engagement with said ratchet wheel.

3. In a switch for controlling the intermittent energization of a plurality of load circuits from a single source of power, the combination including, a set of input terminals having connection with said source of power, a plurality of sets of output terminals, each set being connected with one of said load circuits, a movable contact assembly controlling connection between the input terminals and the sets of output terminals, indexing means operatively associated with said movable contact assembly for effecting stepped movement thereof in one direction so as to connect diiferent sets of output terminals with the input terminals, said indexing means including a ratchet wheel operatively connected to said movable contact assembly and a pawl assembly operatively associated with the ratchet wheel comprisingan operating pawl and a pair of holding pawls operative in one position to engage said ratchet wheel and prevent movement thereof in both directions, electromagnetic means operatively associated with said pawl assembly, which when energized, simultaneously disengage one of said holding pawls from the ratchet wheel to permit movement thereof in one direction and effect movement of the operating pawl in the other direction and into operative engagement with said ratchet wheel, and. means operatively associated with said pawl assembly for sequentially moving the operating pawl in said one direction to thereby effect movement of the ratchet wheel and movable contact assembly in said one direction and thereafter moving said one holding pawl into operative engagement with the ratchet wheel when the electromagnetic means are deenergized, said electromagnetic means and input terminals being electrically connected so that arcing at the movable switch contact assembly is prevented during movement thereof.

4. Driving mechanism for a rotary sequence switch including in combination, a rotatable shaft, a ratchet wheel attached to said shaft, a pawl assembly operatively associated with said ratchet wheel for effecting rotary movement thereof in one direction while preventing retrograde rotary movement thereof, said pawl assembly comprising an operating pawl and a pair of holding pawls operative in one position to engage said ratchet wheel to prevent rotary movement thereof in both directions, means operatively associated with said. operating pawl and one of said holding pawls for simultaneously disengaging said one holdin pawl from said ratchet wheel to permit rotary movement thereof in one direction and moving said operating pawl in the opposite direction and into operative engagement with said ratchet wheel, the other of said holding pawls always having operative engagement with said ratchet wheel to prevent retrograde movement thereof, and means operatively associated with said operating pawl and said one holding pawl for sequentially moving the operating pawl in said one direction to thereby effect rotation of said ratchet wheel in said one direction throughout a predetermined distance and thereafter ll'lOVlIlg said one holding pawl into operative engagement with the ratchet wheel to prevent further movement thereof in said one direction.

The combination set forth in claim 4 wherein the first recited means include an electromagnet having an armature which is attracted by said electromagnet during energization thereof, and means operatively interconnecting said armature and said operating pawl for effecting retrograde movement of said operating pawl JhBl'l the armature is attracted by the energized electromagnet.

6. The combination set forth in claim 5 wherein the means operatively interconnecting said armature and said operating pawl includes a link having operative engagement with said one holding pawl for moving said one holding pawl out of engagement with said ratchet wheel when the electromagnet is energized.

'7. The combination set forth in claim 4 wherein said driving pawl is pivotally attached to a member rotatably supported on said shaft, and wherein the second recited means comprise a carrying member and one of said holding pawls for simultaneously disengaging said one holding pawl from said ratchet wheel to permit rotary movement thereof in one direction and moving said operating pawl in the other direction into operative engagement with said ratchet wheel, means urging the other of said holding pawls into operative engagement with said ratchet wheel so as to prevent movement thereof in the other direction at all times, and means operatively associated with said operating pawl carrying member and said one holding pawl for sequentially moving the operating pawl in said one direction to thereby effect rotation of said ratchet wheel in said one direction throughout a predetermined distance and thereafter moving said one holding pawl into operative engagement with said ratchet wheel to prevent further movement thereof in said one direction.

. 9. In combination with a rotary sequence switch disposed within a housing, driving mechanism for said switch including a shaft rotatably supported within said housing, a ratchet wheel attached to said shaft, an operating pawl for driving the ratchet Wheel, a member rotatably supported on said shaft, said operating pawl being pivotally carried by said member, a pair of holding pawls engageable with said ratchet wheel and operative in one position to prevent movement thereof in both directions, an electromagnet carried by the housing including an armature which is attracted during energization of the electromagnet, means interconnecting said armature and said pawl carrying member, means attached to said pawl carrying member adapted for operative engagement with one of said holding pawls, the construction and arrangement being such that when the armature is attracted by said energized electromagnet, said one holding pawl is moved out of engagement with said ratchet wheel thereby permitting rotary movement of the ratchet wheel in one direction and the operating pawl is moved in the other direc tion and into operative engagement with the ratchet wheel, and a spring, one end of which is attached to said housing and the other end of which is attached to said pawl carrying member, for moving said pawl carrying member and. said operating pawl in said one direction to effect movement of said ratchet wheel in said one direction throughout a predetermined angular distance after which the means attached to said pawl carrying member permits said one holding pawl to be moved into engagement with said ratchet wheel to prevent further movement thereof in said one direction.

10. In combination with a rotary sequence switch disposed within a housing, driving mechanism for said switch including a shaft rotatably supported within said housing, a ratchet wheel attached to said shaft, an operating pawl for driving the ratchet wheel, a member rotatably supported on said shaft, said operating pawl being pivotally carried by said member, a pair of holding pawls engageable with said ratchet wheel and operative said pawl carrying member to simultaneously disengage said one holding pawl from said ratchet wheel to permit rotary movement of the ratchet wheel in one direction and move said operating pawl in the retrograde direction and into operan'ieans attached to said pawl carrying mem er thereby permitting said one holding pawl to move into operative engagement with the ratchet wheel to prevent further movement thereof in said one direction.

References Cited in the file of this patent 

